Improvement in car-couplings



Patented Nov. 9,1875.

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N.FETF.RS, PROTO-LITMOGRAPHER, wlsNxNGToN. D C.

i by hand or by suitable lever.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

4EENssELAE'E A.l oowELL, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

VIMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 169,624, datedNovember 9, 1875; application tiled August 10, 1875.

lence being had to the accompanying drawings,

which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an automatic carcoupler; and consists in thecombinations and devices as hereinafter more fully set forth and 4claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section through thedraw-bar at the center. Fig. 2 is an upward view of the inside of thedraw-head, showing the operation of the hinged guide. i

A is the draw-bar; B, its head; C, the cap covering the head, which capprojects preferably into the mouth or opening at the end of the drawbar.C' is a cushion, of rubber or its equivalent, placed between thedraw-head B and the `cap C. D is a tilting or rotating pin, hinged at d,and provided with a hook end, D'.

It will thus be apparent that, should there be any tendency of jarringthe pin E so much as to cause the arm D to be released, thattendencywill be overcome by the frequent striking of the link againstthe hook D', thus forcing the lever D back into its place behind thepin. Of course the weight of thelink assists to do the saine thing 5 butthe presence of the hook D', and the relation it bears to the end of thelink, render the abovedescribed operation of the link certain.

E is a latch or key, which enters the drawbar from above. Its lower endprojects downward suflciently far that when the link is admitted itpresses against the hook end of the tilting or rotating pin, and carriesthe pin D upward, causing it to leave the latch or key E, after whichthe said latch or key drops down in front of it, and prevents therotating pin from returning until the latch or key is raised This key Emay be raised by hand, in which condition it is suitably adapted tofreight-trains, and to such passenger-trains as do not employ platformsthat come close against each other. In case the device is placed uponthe car wherethe.

the link or dog F will drop down, as shown Y by the dotted lines,l andprevent the pin from returning. This is often desirable when ship-v pingcars, where it is desirable that they shall not couple when theycometogether. For ordinary coupling, however, the latch E will notI belifted high enough to cause the link or dog F to prevent its return.

G is one of the coupling-links, being' that link which belongs to thecar to which the draw-head itself belongs. H is the couplinglink whichbelongs to the other car.

The operation of the device is as follows: As the car bearing the linkEl approaches or is approached, the link enters the mouth of thedraw-head, strikes the hook end of the rotating pin D, and tilts theportion D up into the link. As the portion D rises it raises the latchE, and passes it 5 then the latch E drops down in front of it andprevents its return. In this condition, it will be seen the pin l) has asquare bearing against the latch E and the shoulder d of the draw-bar.

J is a pin, extending down through the draw-head, which serves to retainthe lilik G within the draw-head, and receives the strain when the linkGis in use instead of the link H. lt also receives the pressure of theend link H as it presses against the hook end D A of the tilting pin D.K is a guide-block, hinged at 7c, and curved at its other end to`correspond with the pin J, so that when the pin J is in position theguide-block K is held rigidly in position, as shown in the drawings.

The object of the guide-block K is as follows: As the link H enters thedraw-head and strikes the hook end D of the pin D, were it not for theguide-block the endrof the link would have a tendency to dart up abovethe hook end D against the pin J. firmly in position. Moreover, itprevents the other end of the link from dropping too low to enter theother draw-head.'

This guide-block holds it` The object of hinging the guide-block at lcis as follows: Ifit were not so hinged it would be a fixture within thedraw-bar, in which case the link Gr could not be removed because ofstriking against this guide-block. ln case, however, it is desired toremove this link Gr, the pin J is withdrawn 5 this releases theguideblock K, and it is swung out of the way around the pivot lo, whenthe link can be removed. The cushion C', between the cap C and head B,serves various purposes, as follows: First, when the cars come togetherit receives and sustains the'shock consequent thereon; second, when thecars have, coupled, the caps C, resting against each other, will,because of the elasticity of the cushion C', rest against cach otherwith such a friction as to prevent the cars from oscillating. sidewise,thus preserving, in a great measure, the cars, the coupling, the track,and the runninggear; third, when the cars-as, for instance, on afreighttrain--are backed up against the close brakes of the rear car, inorder to make a start-as, for instance, on a grade-the starting-power ofthe engine is augmented by the elasticity of the cushion C. c are pinsor any suitable device, whereby the cap C is secured to the draw-head B.The draw-bar and cap may be formed of any suitable metal, either wroughtor cast. I have, however, some of the devices of full size in practicaluse on railway-cars, wherein the device is formed of malleable iron,which appears to answer every purpose, having been subjected to severetests.

When the link G is in use, its rear end has a bearing against theshoulder L. This shoulder L may be made in the usual forma solidcasting, or solid with draw-bar.' There is, however, an objection tothis form, as follows: When the cars cometogether with a hard blow, theend linkl Gr would be driven hard against'the shoulder L, and it isliable to break-the link. I therefore prefer to form a tilting shoulder,L. This is made yielding. Alts form is such that, being pivoted as shownin Fig. l, the weight of the link and the weight ofthe draw-bar wouldhold it in place,

as it will be seen that the draw-bar, resting as it does upon anunderneath supportingplate, M, causes its own Weight to react againstthe tilting shoulder L, to hold it in the position shown in thedrawings. The shoulder L in this position willA be held with suflicientfirmness to withstand the ordinary shock in all ordinary cases'ofcoupling; but when the cars e Macau come together with A unusualforcertvhe link G, in pressing against the shoulder L,wonld cause it totilt around its pivot and bear upon theV plate M. This would lift thedraw-bar bodily from the plate M, and the link G would ride back overthe yielding shoulder L. It will be noticed that. the shoulder L isquite close to the pin J, so that the front end of thelink would have tobe raised so as to drop the other end-down under the shoulder L. Thisserves to hold the link always level, and to render it not liable tojump out over the shoulder L.

I am aware draw-heads-have been provided with facings, and that cushionshave been interposed between them; but my cap C has the side laps c',which serveA as a more secure Vattaching medium of same to thedraw-head.

l. The combination, with the draw-barA, of I a cap, C, provided with thelapels c', and inter'- mediate cushion G', substantially as and for thepurpose described.

2. The combination, withl the draw-bar A, of the tilting or rotating pinD, provided with the hooked end D', and latch or key E, substantially asand for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with tlie draw-bar A l and the tilting pin D, of theguide-block K, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with the draw-bar A, of guide-block K, hinged at k,and the pin J, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with the latch or key E, of the link or dog F,substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination, with the draw-bar, of the rotating pin D, pivoted atd, latch E, and shoulder d', substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

7. The tiltingpin D, pivoted-at d, and provided with a hook end, D',substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The combination in a draw-bar, with the V link G, of yielding pivotedshoulder L, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

RENSSELAER A. COWELL. Witnesses:

WELLS W. LEGGETT,

` FRANCIS ToUMEY.

